The delivery of bulbs arrived a few days ago, too late to be planted that evening, but the weather was just mild enough (not below freezing) that all were dug in the next afternoon. The planting in the newly cleared area around the sunroom (soon to be designated the treehouse, since the structure is elevated…

Hours before sunrise, the thermometer showed nineteen degrees (Fahrenheit), but that’s beside the house, so I figure the night was colder by a degree or two. No doubt, temperatures will turn colder as winter progresses, but this was the coldest night so far as autumn flowering camellias are blooming. It’s not a pretty sight. Of…

Unquestionably, I am not ready for winter. Never have been. I don’t like the cold, I don’t like the idleness, and while there will be a few somethings in bloom every day until hellebores and bulbs start flowering in February, the garden is still a bit dreary. The tropicals were hauled into the basement several…

After considerable thought, I’ve finally figured a spot to plant the ‘Carolina Sweetheart’ redbud (Cercis canadensis ‘Carolina Sweetheart’, below). I’ve evaluated the ups and downs of planting this redbud for several months, and now I see it. Adding a tree in this cluttered garden involves many considerations, but this location is so simple that it…

Maples and tulip poplars bordering the garden shed leaves weeks ago, but several trees in the garden remain colorful, at least for a few days as November’s end is near. The best autumn foliage color in this garden comes from Japanese maples that range from coloring in October to trees that are at their peak…

Influenced by visits to brilliant gardens on visits to the Pacific Northwest, I once had grand visions of developing a large portion of this garden as a conifer garden. And why not? The contrasts in color, form, and texture are marvelous, and most conifers flourish in Virginia, even if some bright colors are slightly muted…

With newly opened space as the sunroom nears completion, the time seems appropriate to divulge my process in planning the addition to this thirty-four year old garden. While the typical shoehorning of plants into small gaps in this cluttered garden is often accomplished with little attention, this area demands thoughtfulness. A first? And, am I…

With holiday guests visiting soon, a part of the day was spent clearing leaves from the front walk and the patio seen from the sunroom. Again this year, leaves of ‘Bloodgood’ and ‘Seriyu’ Japanese maples fell just in time for the holiday to blanket the front walk, and while Barbara and I rarely use this…

This is an off year for the Koehne holly (Ilex koehneana) that is typically the most dependable and heaviest to berry in the garden. There are scattered berries, but not in the quantity seen every other year. Unfortunately, lower branches were removed recently as the huge holly strayed too far over the driveway. The newly…

A year ago was the first time I’ve grown castor bean (Ricinus communis). In damp ground that I thought at the time would be ideal, it grew only to knee high by summer’s end. With that obvious failure, my second try was planted on a bone dry slope beside the greenhouse. Happily, this one skyrocketed…

While the late winter flowering leatherleaf mahonia (Mahonia bealei, now Berberis bealei) is known to seed around a bit, there is little opportunity for blooms of the autumn flowering mahonias to be pollinated with infrequent mild weather days suitable for bees to be out and about by mid-November. Leatherleafs are often loaded with grape-like fruits…

As autumn progresses, leaves of one Japanese maple after another fall as another comes into brilliant color. Alas, at the start of November the numbers with foliage remaining are diminishing as leaves pile to cover much of the garden. Leaves of several winter flowering witch hazels (Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’, below) are now delightfully colored….